The featherwork of the Amazonians is particularly extraordinary. Men's headdresses are often decorated with feathers. Like their other artwork, it serves to satisfy the spiritual and practical needs of the people.

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Hello, everybody! It's me, Artzy, just back from the wild — and this time I really do mean wild. I took a trip to the Amazon rain forest in Brazil. Now, I know that this time of year all you Tucsonans get really excited about rain. But let me tell you, Tucson's monsoons are nothing compared to what I experienced in the Amazon. Some parts of the rain forest receive about 400 inches of rain a year — around 33 feet! That's a lot of rain; here in Tucson, we average only 11 inches.

The Amazon rain forest is the world's largest rain forest, covering an area about the size of the continental United States.

If you looked up from the ground in the rain forest, you would see only a few glimpses of sky; rays of light poke through here and there amid what looks like a ceiling of leaves. Some trees in the Amazon grow to be as tall as a 15-story building! These giant trees, called "emergents," house many insects and birds.

Scientists have divided the rain forest into four strata, or zones, based on the living environment. Under the emergents is the canopy, a leafy world that is full of life, including insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. Below the canopy is a cool, dark environment known as the understory. A few animals spend their lives in the understory, but most are just passing through. And beneath that is the forest floor. The largest animals in the rain forest, such as anteaters and jaguars, generally live here.

Running through the rain forest is the Amazon River. The world's largest river in volume, it is fed by more than 1,000 smaller rivers. The river, too, is full of life, including flesh-eating piranhas, otters and electric eels.

There are people in the Amazon, too. And many live much as their ancestors did. The art made by the people in the Amazon is a reflection of their rain-forest environment. It is functional — satisfying either practical or spiritual needs of the people.

Many types of art are produced, including baskets, pottery, textiles and woodcarvings. But the featherwork of the Amazonians is particularly extraordinary.

Feathers are used to decorate armbands and in ear decorations, masks and costumes, as well as weapons and utensils. Men's headdresses are often decorated with feathers.

Whether featherwork or another type of art is being created, the Amazonian artist always considers how it will sway in the wind, reflect light and sound when it is moved, or how it will look from different perspectives. All around them, the people see a world in perpetual motion, and their art is a reflection of the world in which they live.